French name test side to face Springboks

Les Bleus have announced a very strong team to play the World Champions this weekend, with the side notable for having a powerful looking loose forward trio.

Louis Picamoles, Imanol Harinordoquy and new captain Thierry Dusautoir have been named in the back row, with Dusautoir now officially wearing the captains armband having taking over from lock Lionel Nallet.

Elsewhere, in what is France's opening game of the autumn internationals, Damien Traille starts at fullback ahead of Maxime Medard.

However, it is not a position that the big Biarritz back is unfamiliar with, having played it against the All Blacks in Cardiff in 2007.

Francois Trinh-Duc will start the game at first five eighth partnering the impressive Julien Dupuy. However there is no specialist fly half cover on the bench.

It will be an interesting clash, with the Springboks clearly smarting after a "second XV" was embarrassed by the Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in the weekend.

Dangerous wingmen Vincent Clerc and Cedric Heymans round out a team that will be looking at building on their success achieved this year when claiming the All Blacks scalp at home.

France team to play South Africa:

15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yann David, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Cedric Heymans, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Imanol Harinordoquy, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Romain Millo-Chluski, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Fabien Barcella. Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Sebastien Chabal, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 David Marty, 22 Maxime Medard.